Get ACTIVE!

In the first ever comprehensive study of strenuous physical activity and the risk of Parkinson's disease, researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health have found that men who exercised regularly and vigorously early in their adult life had a lower risk for developing Parkinson's disease compared to men who did not. The findings appear in the February 22, 2005 issue of the journal Neurology.

Men who were the most physically active at the start of the study cut their risk of developing Parkinson's disease by 50 percent compared to male study participants who were the least physically active. The researchers also found that men who reported regularly strenuous physical activity in early adult life cut the risk for Parkinson's by 60 percent compared to those who did not.

Alberto Ascherio, senior author and associate professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, said: "These are intriguing and promising findings that suggest that physical activity may contribute to the prevention of Parkinson's.?

As the New Year approaches, we encourage all to make 2007 the year to Get Active. With a little creativity and planning, even the busiest people can make room for physical activity. Think about your daily schedule and look for opportunities to be more active. Every little bit helps - so here are some helpful tips:

• Walk, cycle, jog, skate, etc., to work, school, the store, or place of worship.
• Park the car farther away from your destination.
• Get on or off the bus several blocks away.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator.
• Play with children or pets. Everybody wins.
• Take fitness breaks walk or stretch.
• Perform gardening or home repair activities.
• Turn off the self-propel option on your lawn mower or vacuum cleaner.
• Use leg power-take small trips on foot to get your body moving.
• Exercise while watching TV using hand weights or a stationary bicycle.
• Dance to music.
• Walk while doing errands.

We especially reach out to parents everywhere and encourage you to guide your children towards more physical activity The lifestyle that your children learn from you will likely stay with them their entire lives.  By encouraging your children to be active, to run and play, to ride their bikes and to participate in organized sports you can put them on a path that offers life long health benefits.  

As always, we are at your service,
The Wholefood Farmacy Team

Brown Rice

Milling is the process that turns brown rice into white rice by removing the outer layer known as the bran layer - this alters the nutritional value of the rice. The complete milling process that creates white rice from brown rice destroys 67% of the vitamin B3, 80% of the vitamin B1, 90% of the vitamin B6, half of the manganese, half of the phosphorus, 60% of the iron, and all of the dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.  In short, brown rice is a fiber-rich whole grain whereas white rice is simply a refined and nutritionally depleted processed food.

In March of 2006, research reported in the journal Agricultural Research, Nancy Keim and a team at the USDA ARS Western Human Nutrition Center studied 10 women age 20-45 who ate a whole grain diet for three days, then ate the same foods but with refined grains in place of whole grains. Blood samples at the end of each 3-day period showed that the refined grains diet caused a significant increase in triglycerides and a worrisome protein called "apolipoprotein CIII" (apoCIII), both of which have been associated with increased risk of heart disease.

At the University of Utah, in a study of over 2000 people, a team led by Dr. Martha Slattery found that high intakes of whole grains, such as brown rice, reduced the risk of rectal cancer 31%.  They also found that a high-fiber diet, 34 grams or more of fiber per day, reduced rectal cancer by an impressive 66%. The findings were published in the February 2004 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

In a Study presented at American Heart Association Conference, March 2006, overweight children, age 9-15, spent two weeks on an all-you-can-eat diet of whole grains, fruits, vegetables and lean protein, while exercising 2.5 hours each day. University of California researchers led by Dr. James Barnard reported that in just two weeks the children's cholesterol levels dropped an average of 21%, while insulin levels fell 30%.

As we approach the New Year we encourage parents everywhere to consider guiding themselves and their children down a healthier path by replacing processed and refined grains with healthy, natural whole grains such as brown rice.  The healthy habits that your children learn from you while young will stay with them and be passed on for generations to come.

This is one small change that can make a BIG difference.

As always, we are at your service,

The Wholefood Farmacy Team

Chocolate

Some "chocoholics" who just couldn't give up their favorite treat have inadvertently done their fellow chocolate lovers - and science - a big favor.

A recent study at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine was focused on blood platelets and blood clots. The study participants, some of whom were fond of eating chocolate, were given a list of foods to avoid; the list included chocolate.  It seems that some of them ended up indulging their cravings for chocolate during the study.  

Amazingly, their indulgence led researchers to an important discovery which is believed to be the first of its kind. Through biochemical analysis, the researchers are now able to explain why just a few squares of chocolate a day can reduce the risk of heart attack death in some men and women by almost 50%.  It turns out that the chocolate decreases the tendency of platelets to clot in narrow blood vessels.

"What these chocolate offenders taught us is that the chemical in cocoa beans has a biochemical effect similar to aspirin in reducing platelet clumping, which can be fatal if a clot forms and blocks a blood vessel, causing a heart attack," says Diane Becker, M.P.H., Sc.D., a professor at The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Becker cautions that her work is not intended as a prescription to gobble up large amounts of chocolate candy, which often contains diet-busting amounts of sugar, butter and cream.  But as little as 2 tablespoons a day of dark chocolate - the purest form of the candy, made from the dried extract of roasted cocoa beans - may be just what the doctor ordered.

Are you fond of eating chocolate?  Try mixing your high quality dark chocolate with some Phi Plus you might be amazed by your own findings.

As always, we are at your service,

The Wholefood Farmacy Team